Incendiary
by Magnix
Summary: John/Bobby They thought he was dead. Slash Yaoi
1. Chapter 1

Bobby thought he was dead. The rest of the x thought that he was dead. It was almost a year, and Bobby was over it. The first six months of his death when they all assumed that he was dead was when Bobby barely left his room for any thing other than required classes and dinner. It was bad enough that John had turned against him, but it was even hard to kill him to protect others.

Wasn't there another way? Perhaps they should have punished him by giving him the cure. He questioned this for a few months until Logan came into his room and gave him a good lecture. Bobby told himself that he only cared because he was ignoring Marie. He even dumped her after the school reopened. The night he did, there was three scratches in his pillow with feathers spread everywhere. As if that wasn't obvious.

Alive wasn't exactly the best term to describe John. He was unconscious for almost a year. They'd found him knocked out at the scene of the battle. Immediately, the doctors thought that he was dead. They were wrong. When they checked him one more time, they found his heart beating and seemed to be alive. There was just one problem. The mutant just wouldn't seem to wake up. The doctors decided it would be best to give him the cure so that he couldn't light them on fire when he woke up. Unfortunately for them, his powers returned to normal state during the eleven months that he was asleep.

It was Bobby's birthday that he woke up. John suddenly sat up with eyes the size of saucer pans, glaring at the nurse trying to check the blood pressure in his arm. The mutant wanted an explanation right away. The doctors explained to John what happened cautiously, and they weren't surprised that he only remembered the moment up to when he got hint. Scenes of Bobby in ice flashed through his mind, and he bent over grabbing his head in frustration. It was a good thing they didn't check to see if he had any mutation left, or they would have sent him to jail seeing as the cure didn't work fully. Either it was because he was above a class three, or none of the cure shots worked all together.

He had nowhere to go when it was through but the school. John debated about going there for almost a month, telling the doctors he felt sick so that he could stay in the hospital. They had a feeling that it had to do with the school because he requested the phone number.

Staring down at the bucket of vanilla ice cream, Bobby wondered if he had any chores to do this evening. Probably not. There wasn't anything he was aware of. Nothing really special going on at night anyways. The dance. Oh that. He forgot. Apparently, Storm thought it would be good for the students to start having a dance. A month after his birthday, and he still didn't want to see Rogue again. She stopped over the night of his birthday, said her congratulations on his eighteenth birthday. It only reminded him that John would be eighteen right now too.

So what Logan had told him about getting over the death of John wasn't working. He still seemed to feel for the boy. There wasn't an exact answer to what type. He just did. As he took another bite of the treat, the brunette heard someone answer the phone in an odd tone. It was almost like they were surprised. His interest followed after him when Kitty brought him the phone and quickly set it down in front of him on the counter.

The mutant picked it up and placed it next to his ear, swallowing before he answered. "Hello, this is bobby." He said with a sigh.

The voice on the other line was silent for a moment, and he almost thought that Kitty had pranked him. "Hey Ice Man." Then it hit him. This had to be a joke.

--

"Kitty, this isn't funny! Is Rogue in on this?" Bobby shouted from inside the kitchen. He heard the voice on the other end laughing at him. It certainly sounded like John. It even had that tone he used when he first woke up, or he was nervous. Maybe there was a new mutant in the school that was physic mutations like Xavier or Jean.

He heard the voice on the other end speak again as he tried to look around the room. "I highly doubt Kitty and Rogue would play this kind of prank on you. Maybe me though-"Bobby didn't want to play games.

"Who is this if it isn't them?" He barked at John. In his head, he knew that Pyro was dead. There was no way he was still alive with a knock to the head like that.


	2. Chapter 2

"Kitty, this isn't funny! Is Rogue in on this?" Bobby shouted from inside the kitchen. He heard the voice on the other end laughing at him. It certainly sounded like John. It even had that tone he used when he first woke up, or he was nervous. Maybe there was a new mutant in the school that was physic mutations like Xavier or Jean. Perhaps the student was trying to annoy him.

He heard the voice on the other end speak again as he tried to look around the room. "I highly doubt Kitty and Rogue would play this kind of prank on you. Maybe me though-"Bobby didn't want to play games.

"Who is this if it isn't them?" He barked at John. In his head, he knew that Pyro was dead. There was no way he was still alive with a knock to the head like that.

For a moment, the fire mutant on the other end thought that maybe calling his old friend was a bad idea. He'd most likely turn him into the police when he found out the cure didn't work. It was when he heard Bobby about to hang up that he spoke up again. "Meet me at the little café down the road from the school tonight at seven."

If Bobby did go to the café and there was no one there, everyone would think he is insane. But what if he went and John really was there? What did that mean? Was it a trap? Will he just come back for his vengeance? "Okay. I'll meet you there." He finally answered.

There was silence before a click on the other end hanging up.

--

In small towns, the local café is often the central gathering spot for conversation and meetings. Such cafés are especially popular for breakfasts. Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters was located in the Massachusetts Academy in Western Massachusetts. Snow Valley only had a bunch of hills, so Bobby wasn't surprised that he had to hitch a ride with someone down town to meet John. When they asked why he wanted to go there, he lied and said that he needed to get away from the dance. It made him angry to watch the couples dance happily and listen to the sounds around him.

No more questions after that. Someone dropped him off and told him they'd be coming back in an hour. Bobby immediately disliked that, saying he'd get a cab back. It wasn't like that was an issue. That meant less gas mileage wasted.

Bobby took a seat in the back in one of the boots to wait for 'John'. Part of him hoped he wasn't crazy. That John was alive and well. But another part of him said that if John was alive then Pyro was alive, so it could lead to something bad.

He was early of course. He glanced down at the menu in front of him and refused to order something. Instead, he looked up at the crystal droplets clinging to the window, some gathered and merged together and slid down crazily into oblivion. The rain pitter-pattered on the glass of the Millar Café window. Then he looked back down at his hands and frowned. Iceman ran his hand through his chocolate brown hair in frustration and exhaled loudly. Where was he?

Just when he was about to give up, the little bronze bell that hung over the door rang barely audible over the patrons of Millar. The image of the ex-student in front of him walked in and stopped to look over the menu on the wall. An Avril Lavigne -wannabe in a blue apron walked over and in a practiced smile asked what he would like. He said, "Nothing today," and his eyes met Bobby's.

John slid into the seat in front of him blocking his view of the rain and looked into her shocked blue eyes. John's eyes were like a deep blue ocean, but the fire was all gone. "Hi, Bobby."


	3. Chapter 3

John slid into the seat in front of him blocking his view of the rain and looked into her shocked blue eyes

_John slid into the seat in front of him blocking his view of the rain and looked into her shocked blue eyes. John's eyes were like a deep blue ocean, but the fire was all gone. "Hi, Bobby."_

"Is that really you?" That was the best Bobby could come up with in the state of shock he was in. The John in front of him was nowhere as unpleasant looking as the one he fought. Not that he was unpleasant looking, as he was not good-looking. John had always been good looking, but there was something about him at the fight that looked bad. He looked like he hadn't eaten, didn't sleep, and looked kind of week. Maybe that was why he lost.

Lost in his own train of thoughts, the ice mutant barely had enough time to register what the other said. He raised an eyebrow as if to repeat it. "I said yes," He repeated again, rolling his eyes. "You always seemed to be spaced out."

"How would you know? You're not here anymore." Bobby barked at him as the sudden urge to hug his old friend turned to the sudden urge to smack him in the face with ice.

John nodded his head and stretched out his hands in defense. "No shit, iceman." He chuckled as he played it off humorously like always. "Anyways, Magneto was using me-" "No shit, Pyro!" "Do you mind not interrupting me every five seconds?"

He gave him a look before continuing. "He was using me. When we were standing on the bridge, I went to go after you though he said to me for the pawns to go first. I figured that meant I was more than some pawn in his plot. Unfortunately, I learned that I was a pawn. Jean was the only person he ever cared about. Well, not exactly like that. I guess you could say she was the only one he respected."

Bobby took this all in as he listened to his friend talk. John seemed to have learned his lesson. But where the hell was he for a year? Was he coming back? Would he accept it when he told him he loved him? Woah. He needed to back up. One thing at a time.

"How do I know you aren't pulling my leg?" He asked in worriment. There was a part of him-John would say the 'x-men part'-that was saying John was lying. Again.

The mutant of the subject reached over the table to where Bobby was sitting, grabbed a piece of hair, and pulled it roughly until he heard him scream at him. "I'm pulling your hair instead," John chuckled and smirked when he just glared at him angrily still expecting an answer. "Okay. I'm being serious…trying. You just need to trust me. I wasn't always bad." Bobby raised an eyebrow again. "Okay, I was always kind of bad in another sense, but I'm not part of the damn brotherhood anymore. I don't believe in Magneto's lying shit. Magneto's-I don't even know where he is."

Bobby wanted to believe him like he wanted to kiss him. That was very badly too. "He's being human miserable somewhere." He sighed, placing his head in his hands. This was stressful. It was best to not meet John's eyes.

"I highly doubt that." There was a soft chink noise and a few people making gasping noises. Bobby quickly looked up from the table to see John swirling a little ball of fire in his hands. There was a lighter on the table, but he wasn't holding it. "Considering my powers came back."


	4. Chapter 4

Bobby wanted to believe him like he wanted to kiss him

_Bobby wanted to believe him like he wanted to kiss him. That was very badly too. "He's being human miserable somewhere." He sighed, placing his head in his hands. This was stressful. It was best to not meet John's eyes. _

"I highly doubt that." There was a soft chink noise and a few people making gasping noises. Bobby quickly looked up from the table to see John swirling a little ball of fire in his hands. There was a lighter on the table, but he wasn't holding it. "Considering my powers came back."

It only took a minute for the mutant to react, placing his hand over top of the fire before it quickly fell to the table covered in ice. There was a smile on his features for only a minute remembering what they used to in class. It was replaced with a frown and glanced up at John.

"You're not surprised?" He said with a grin as he picked up the lighter recently on the table. The top flicked open and close a few times until the people around them stopped watching. Unsurprisingly, it wasn't the same lighter he had been using. The only thing Bobby could think of was that someone took them from him.

Glancing around the room, he made sure everyone was minding their own business before addressing him. "Well, why would they be gone in the first place?" He asked in confusion. John had not mentioned ever losing them. "I'm kind of looking for how you even got here."

That was true. Pyro rolled the little Zippo lighter around in his fingers trying to decide whether or not he wanted to tell Bobby. Maybe he wanted to leave him curious, but he would eventually have to tell him. He might as well get it over with.

"Basically, after you tried to beat the shit out of me-you failed by the way-the police found me in the shape you left me in. They took me to the nearest hospital, thinking I was a human of course. I guess I didn't look very 'mutanty'. When they found out that I was one, they gave me the cure despite my state of coma." Iceman stared down at the table in guilt as he continued.

"I suppose their new rules is that if you have the cure then you don't get to go to jail even though I was a terrorist. I guess they think that is punishment enough. It would have been, but the almost year I was a coma was all it took for my powers to come back. I highly doubt Magneto still has his powers too."

Bobby was totally stunned. He didn't know what to feel. He felt guilty, angry, happy, sad, and vengeful all in one. "That's not good." He said softly. He didn't know what else to say. He was lacking in words. "You should tell them about Magneto-"

John interrupted him angrily. "Are you kidding? Then they'd take me away. Do you really want me to go to jail?" The mutant asked him in curiosity and leaned forward on the table with his arms crossed in front of him.

To tell the truth, he definitely didn't want John to go to jail. He was happy to see his face again. He thought that maybe he could turn Pyro around to be an x-men again. Of course, he knew not to keep his hopes up. "I don't," He answered truthfully and was given a rare smile from John. "I want you to come back." As if he expected anything less when he started laughing at him. He was such a jackass sometimes.

"Are you kidding?" John raised an eyebrow at Bobby, who just shook his head and looked out the window to avoid his gaze. "You're not kidding? Well, I guess I didn't bring you down here for a family reunion. I'm thinking the only way to keep them away from me -the police that is- is to basically either act harmless or go into a hiding. Wouldn't the school be perfect for that?"

It would and Bobby knew it. He shrugged his shoulders lazily, trying to think of something to say. Having him back would be nice, but it wouldn't be so easy on everyone else. He was basically a trader to everyone, and they would probably still think it. "I wasn't kidding," Bobby sighed in frustration and turned his head back to look at John. "I think it would be exactly what you said. You know, a place to hide and maybe keep you out of trouble."

This was a hard decision to make. He definitely did not want to fall into that "I am helpless now, so let me become an x-man!" category. That was Bobby's thing, not his. He still didn't believe in their 'Live peaceful with humans' shit, but there was one thing that the school had that no one else did. Bobby Drake.


	5. Chapter 5

_This was a hard decision to make. He definitely did not want to fall into that "I am helpless now, so let me become an x-man!" category. That was Bobby's thing, not his. He still didn't believe in their 'Live peaceful with humans' shit, but there was one thing that the school had that no one else did. Bobby Drake._

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* * *

John wasn't even sure how it happened but the two ended up back up in Bobby's room at the X Mansion. Everyone seemed to be at the dance that night, so it was incredibly easy to sneak inside the school up to his room. Still not having John convinced to stay; the brunette was very paranoid that someone would know he was up there.

"No one else rooms here but me," Bobby finally admitted when he saw the other looking around for someone else's things around the second bed. "No one could stand the temperature but you." He thought he saw a slight smile on his face, but it disappeared when he turned around to meet his gaze.

"Is that the only reason?" He heard him say, but Bobby's eyes were drawn to his mouth. His brain wasn't really listening. The way his lips just looked almost perfect to kiss-god, he shoved his thoughts back down. Maybe he could bring that subject back up in his mind after he convinced John to stay.

Grabbing the mutant by the back of the neck, John pushed his body down onto the bed so he was sitting. "I don't think I can stay here," He disclosed to him. "Too many people probably hate me. After all, I am a murderer, a terrorist, and most important to the x-men I am a traitor. Why you care about me I am oblivious to, but I would certainly like to know, Bobby-boy."

He could tell him right now and get it over with. But that would be sappy, unoriginal, and he bet that was something John would just laugh his ass at. Bobby wanted to wait until he felt it was the right time. "They'll forgive you," He whispered softly, looking up at his stupid schoolgirl crush. If John told Bobby to clean his shoes, he'd probably do it. It was a damn good thing he didn't know it either.

"Are you serious? What did they put in your head, Iceman?" John chuckled as his warm hand pushed down on Bobby's head. When the hand was gone, he felt a little sad the warmth was gone too. It wasn't exactly peachy being cold all the time. Just another reason he was 'head over heels' in love with John.

Grabbing onto his hand, the ice mutant stared down at it as if examining it. John only let him look at it for a minute before he pulled it away. "They took the lighters away from me that Magneto made for me. I had to go to some gas station and buy more." He explained, patting his back pocket where they were as if he knew just what Bobby was thinking. It somewhat scared him.

Nodding his head, Bobby tried to think of something to say besides what was on his mind. "John, they don't have Magneto kept prisoner. If the cure isn't working, the government won't know it and-" Before he could finish talking, he felt the same warm hand as earlier cover his mouth.

"If that is the case, I am sure that old fart is cooking up some new fucking plans to take down the humans. And before you ask that is just a guess. I don't want anything to do with him." He confessed to his friend. There was this stupid 'sparkle' in Bobby's eyes that John just dismissed as dust from the room or something. He was in slight denial.

There was this silence in the room when Bobby thought he heard someone talking the hall. He quickly stood up in front of John and moved to stand in front of him facing the door. The muffle he could hear sounded like Jubilee's voice and the other was probably Kitty. It only lasted a second before the noise was gone. "They must have been coming back from this stupid dance Storm held." He explained, glancing over his shoulder at the amused John holding his lighter.

"Really? That sounds like your kind of thing. I'm surprised you didn't go." He teased him, dropping onto the bed he previously slept in a few years ago. It still felt the same and definitely much better than anywhere he'd slept with the brotherhood.

Rubbing his arms nervously, Bobby blurted out something he should not have. "Well, the person I wanted to go with wasn't here." John's face dropped into a frown. Right now he kind of wanted to light something on fire. The mansion was already getting to him. Bobby had been under their control, doing whatever they said, and filling his mind with stupidity. There was no way he was staying here.

"Bobby, I'm leaving." There was no questioning John when he used that tone. They may have been away from each other for quite some time, but some things did not change. "You don't realize it, but this place completely brain washes you. They tell you 'control yourself' and other shit like that. What they really want is to use you just like Magneto. They don't give a shit if you're pissed off; love struck, heartbroken, or depressed. Really, when I was hear all you said was 'Cyclops says this, Cyclops says that.' They just-"

That was enough. "I get it!" Bobby shouted angrily, not realizing the volume he had taken his voice to. The party was over. He needed to be quiet before someone in the hall wonders who the hell he is talking to. "Sorry," He whispered quietly when John had the pissed off look. "What do you expect me to do about it?"

Standing up from the bed, the brunette shuffled across the room over to Bobby's closet and opened it up. Jesus. His wardrobe hadn't changed either. He looked down at the floor before swiping what he was looking for. John tossed the object at the other as his eyes met the dark brown ones in front of him. "Leave with me."


	6. Chapter 6

_That was enough. "I get it!" Bobby shouted angrily, not realizing the volume he had taken his voice to. The party was over. He needed to be quiet before someone in the hall wonders who the hell he is talking to. "Sorry," He whispered quietly when John had the pissed off look. "What do you expect me to do about it?"_

_Standing up from the bed, the brunette shuffled across the room over to Bobby's closet and opened it up. Jesus. His wardrobe hadn't changed either. He looked down at the floor before swiping what he was looking for. John tossed the object at the other as his eyes met the dark brown ones in front of him. "Leave with me."_

_

* * *

  
_

Bobby sat in the passenger seat of the car, listening to the soft music on the radio. He hated thinking about where they were going, his new home possibly. He focused on the music from the speakers rather than get upset about the decision he had made so fast without even thinking about it. As soon as John had tossed him that duffle bag, he started packing his clothes in to it until it couldn't fit. He grabbed his pillowcase and shoved even more belongings into that. John's face was rather smug when he looked back up, but it had been perfectly expressionless when he was actually packing. Bobby was silent and not really thinking. Maybe John was doing all the thinking for him.

The car hit a bump in the road, then another. The car came to a sudden halt, and he glanced out the window. He saw with blue eyes a long brick wall protecting multiple houses. The car lurched. The wall stopped suddenly. They were moving again.

The buildings seemed to pass them by. Life seemed to stay still in that one moment of time when the wisps of air rushed past Bobby's hand. He sat considerably still with his head rested on the door that held him captive inside the car. Soon the air got colder and quietly removed his hand from its place extended outward.

He turned to face John and watch what he was doing. The pyromaniac flicked a cigarette out the window and reached to turn up the music. It was loud, pulsing, making the air shimmer as if it were alive around them. He liked it loud; there was no point in listening to metal any other way. Scrap metal music, Cyclops had called it. "

"Pieces of shit that are written to be enigmas. Only good to stop you from thinking."

John just thought that Cyclops hated anything metal. Even the word. It probably reminded him of Magneto. He tried not thinking about Cyclops, Magneto, or really anyone for that matter but just John, who was more confusing than ever. Eventually, he decided to say something to break the ice. Not literally.

"Where are we going?" Bobby asked shortly to her driver, "I'm very curious."

John eyeballed him. "Bobby, does it really matter? I mean, I'm not going to Magneto if that was what you were thinking. I just want to get away. I think I have an idea. Would you just let me dri-"

"Watch the road!" He said sharply, cutting him off. The car had drifted into the other lane just a bit as John was looking at him, and he slowly brought it back over to his side of the yellow line. Not that it mattered, as there were no other cars in sight, but he hated it when he didn't pay attention to his driving.

"It's fine, I just thought I saw some glass in the road," he mumbled. Both of them sat in silence for a few minutes after that.

After looking back out on the road where a sign said they were leaving Westchester, he finally spoke again. "Do you have any money? I only have about a hundred." There was urgency in his voice that, if heard by the President, might imply the country was on the brink of nuclear disaster.

Impulsively, feeding off of her worries like an improve actor, he let out a quick gasp, which he followed with a gasp of his own. Before Bobby could say anything, he smiled at him and said, "Chill out. I got some shit." That didn't really calm Bobby at all.

"Don't scare me like that," He pouted. Secretly he enjoyed it, and fell for it every time. Pyro enjoyed it too, for the same reason. "Anyways, how far do you plan on going? I'm just-I don't know."

Their car stopped at a stop sign and John reached over to gently place a warm hand on Bobby's shoulder, making eye contact with him. "It's almost midnight. If you're tired we can stop. There's a fucking hotel about five minutes away." He explained and didn't let go.

His face flushed a bit and nodded. John returned his hands back to the wheel until they came to a stop in front of a hotel. It was more of a bed and breakfast than a hotel. A two story building with a wide front porch wrapping around three-quarters of it and a chimney sticking out the top. But the sign proclaimed it Hotel Yorba. The surrounding woods were verdant and the lake could be seen from the dirt parking lot.

John didn't spare a glance at Bobby and unlinked his seat belt before getting out of the car. He locked it and continued up the dirt path to the porch. When he joined John, their feet clonked on the wooden boards, sounding the arrival. The screen door creaked open and a woman came out to greet us, which was surprising considering the time. Wearing a brown wool coat and a bandana wrapped as a band around her hair, she smiled broadly at them, one of those contagious smiles. Except John didn't smile back.


End file.
